prayer at another level

The Hypocritical Tree, Part 2

I wanted to share a few more thoughts about the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-19.

Early in the morning, as He was returning to the city, He was hungry.Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He went up to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” At once the fig tree withered.

If you want to see the facts I listed about sycamore fig trees check out my last blog.

So lets talk a little bit about the production of fruit. This tree has a truly unique pollination cycle. I see some wonderful symbolism here for our lives as followers of Jesus. For example, the sycamore fig cannot self pollinate, it must be close by other sycamore fig trees because of the way it is pollinated. In like manner, I believe that true, good, and lasting fruitful Christians will not bear fruit unless they remain in close community with other believers. We were designed to be in communion with others.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

-Hebrews 10:24-25

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with yourfaith;if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

-Romans 12:4-8

…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

-1 Peter 2:5, 9

We are not to give up meeting together because we need each other! We cannot be members of a body if we are severed from it, and we cannot be built ‘into a spiritual house’ if we are just a single stone hanging out by our self! So if we wish to keep ourselves from being like that fruitless, hypocritical tree then we must get ourselves in community with other believers and stay there!

Furthermore, I think we should meet together more and more, ‘as we see the Day approaching’. The early Christians meet together daily to eat in each others’ homes, they praised God together and met in the temple courts as a group. they dedicated themselves to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread (which is communion), and prayer! May we do the same!

Remember, the sycamore fig can bear a ton of fruit every couple of months! That’s 2,000 pounds of fruit!!! Jesus, remind us to keep in fellowship with other believers, remind us of the importance you place upon your body. May we become ever more fruitful as we fellowship, pray, have communion, and praise together. Make us like sycamore fig trees, bearing tons and tons of fruit! Amen!